Posted 01 Jul 2009

Sea turtles swimming off the shores of Sulawesi in Indonesia – which lies in between Borneo and the Maluku Islands – are thriving once again after a successful protection programme designed to boost their numbers.

This means that a gap year in Indonesia may throw up the chance to see some of these magnificent creatures as they swim ashore to lay their eggs.

For centuries, the area’s residents used the turtles’ eggs as currency and collected them because of their value.

However, this practice ground to a halt in 2005, as environmental groups and local authorities collaborated to offer the area financing, facilities and even celebrity visitors should locals help protect the turtles.

This has resulted in 3,000 eggs being laid on Sulawesi in 2008, compared to 20 in 2006 and 77 in 2007.

Overall, seven species of sea turtle exist across the globe, all of which are listed as endangered or threatened by the US Endangered Species Act.

Category: Asia